Newly analyzed satellite images reveal that Israeli attacks have left widespread destruction in the southern coastal city of Sidon, Lebanon. The visuals indicate that following calls for forced displacement, residential areas and civilian structures in the city have been systematically flattened.
Comparisons of satellite data between January 4 and June 4, 2026, show multi-story residential blocks reduced to rubble. The images highlight bulldozer demolitions and land leveling in various neighborhoods.
Ancient City and Protected Area Also Targeted
Sidon is a historic port city known for its approximately 5,000-year history. With Israel’s military escalation, the city was placed near a 10-kilometer-deep security zone, and settlers were prohibited from returning to this military area.
Satellite images show that airstrikes hit buildings just meters away from Sidon's archaeological site. This area has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1984 and received enhanced protection status under the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in November 2024.
The Lebanese Ministry of Culture strongly condemned the attacks, emphasizing that preserving the nearly 5,000-year human history of the ancient city is an obligation under international law. The ministry stated that protecting this heritage is not only Lebanon’s responsibility but a global duty.
Damage to Hospitals, Schools, and Camps
The National News Agency reported that Israeli warplanes struck the immediate vicinity of the Lebanese Islamic University in Sidon, causing structural damage. Civilian vehicles near the university were also damaged in the attack.
The destruction extended to the el-Buss camp, home to Palestinian refugees. Satellite images confirmed that some buildings recognized by UNRWA in the camp were destroyed, and a nearby public high school suffered severe damage.
Approximately 246,000 Palestinian refugees live in 12 official camps in the Sidon area. The Rashidieh, el-Buss, and Burj Shemali camps in the city host a total of 28,000 people; UNRWA officials said that one-third of the population in these three camps has left the area due to the bombardment.
Sidon's permanent population is about 60,000, including around 10,000 residents in the historic old city. Following recent warnings, about 8% of the city’s population migrated north within 48 hours, with previously displaced people also setting out again.
Casualties Continue in Southern Lebanon
Civil defense units in southern Lebanon reported that at least six people were killed in the latest attacks on the town of Tayr Debba in the Sidon area on Wednesday. This came a day after attacks in southern Lebanon killed 20 people and injured dozens despite a US-mediated ceasefire.
Since the military operation began on March 2, over 3,600 people have been killed and approximately 1.2 million displaced. The report noted that the destruction resembles the 2006 war scenario, with neighborhoods flattened, civilian casualties, and mass displacement once again prominent.
It was also recalled that the war in Gaza has caused massive destruction, with about 73,000 killed and 80% of buildings damaged. The situation in Sidon highlights once more the regional conflict’s pressure on historic heritage sites, educational institutions, and refugee camps.
